1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to digital data processing systems and more particularly provides a computer system that facilitates coordination of activities of a plurality of actors in connection with a common operation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As the costs of digital data processing systems, that is, computers, decrease, they are being used more widely in the workplace. For some time, computers have been used to provide critical personnel, bookkeeping, accounting and inventory services for companies. More recently, computers have been used to provide assistance in a number of other office activities, most notably word processing, communications, computer-aided design, and computer-aided engineering and manufacturing.
Many of the areas in which computers provide office support have been those in which the activities are largely individual or in which all actors in the activity have a common goal presumed unaffected by other activities within an organization which may be competing for resources and the like. For example, in word processing, typically only one person works on a particular document, or portion of a document at a given time, and thus word processing is largely an individual activity. Similarly, in computer-aided design, engineering and manufacturing, even if more than one person is involved in the activity, the activity tends towards a common goal, that is, designing and manufacturing a product. However, many activities in the workplace are not isolated, that is, they require coordination of a number of actors and competition for limited resources, financial and otherwise, that are available within a company.